Nuclear and Radiochemistry

Nuclear Safety and Security

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Nuclear Safety is characterized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as "The achievement of proper working conditions, aversion of nuclear accidents or mitigation of accident consequences, resulting in protection of workers, the public and the environment from undue radiation hazards". The IAEA characterizes Nuclear Security as "The prevention and discovery of and response to, theft, sabotage, unapproved access, illegal transfer or other malicious acts including nuclear material, other radioactive substances or their associated facilities".

Nuclear power plant design use fissile materials to deliver energy in the form of heat, which is changed to power by conventional generating plant. Radioactive materials are created as a by-product of this procedure. Whilst radioactive materials can have valuable uses, for example, in cancer therapy, they are generally harmful to health. Their utilization, and the process by which they are produced, must be strictly managed to guarantee nuclear safety.